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Social Housing Occupancy
12 March 2024
Lead MP
Catherine West
Hornsey and Friern Barnet
Lab
Responding Minister
Jacob Young
Tags
TaxationHousing
Word Count: 4487
Other Contributors: 4
At a Glance
Catherine West raised concerns about social housing occupancy in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
Ms Catherine West calls on the government to prioritise building more social and affordable homes, ensuring that developers meet their commitments to provide new social homes, and revisiting planning loopholes like permitted development rights that allow substandard housing conversions without proper checks. She also urges a renaissance in council housebuilding.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Ms Catherine West is concerned about the increasing problem of overcrowding in social housing due to a lack of affordable homes. She cited statistics that show over 1.2 million families are waiting for social homes, with her own borough having 13,343 households on the housing register. In Haringey alone, there are an estimated 1,053 individuals living in overcrowded or severely overcrowded council homes and 871 private tenants in high-priority bands experiencing similar conditions. She highlighted that over 2 million council homes have been sold off with only a 4% replacement rate. The housing crisis has led to issues such as damp, mould, electrical faults, and cramped living spaces for families.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Acknowledged the issue of social housing applies to Northern Ireland as well, pointing out that despite a smaller population, there are 38,000 applicants on the waiting list and only 18,000 rural social homes.
Neil Coyle
Lab
Bermondsey and Old Southwark
Thanked his hon. Friend for securing the debate and congratulated the London Mayor on building homes, noting that in Southwark alone there have been 926 new builds. Agreed with his hon. Friend about the need for Labour-led efforts to address housing problems through partnerships across sectors. Neil Coyle intervened to question the Minister about whether the number of people living in overcrowded social housing is increasing and asked for an acknowledgment of the coalition government's decision to slash Homes and Communities Agency funding by 83%.
Noted that Darlington's Conservative council is delivering 1,000 council homes over ten years but suggested this was insufficient and asked whether the right to buy should be ended.
Yasmin Qureshi
Lab
Bolton South and Walkden
Yasmin Qureshi highlighted the issue of overcrowding in social housing, citing figures from the 2021 census where 7,000 homes were overcrowded in Bolton with 3,840 being households with dependent children. She criticised the previous government's funding cuts to affordable and social housing which led to a decline in the construction of three and four-bedroom homes.
Government Response
Jacob Young
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve under the chairmanship of Sir Gary Streeter. The minister commends Catherine West for securing this debate on social housing occupancy, acknowledging her long-standing work in promoting the interests of people living in social housing. He highlights his own experience growing up in Middlesbrough and the importance of decent homes for community well-being. Since 2010, the Government has delivered nearly 700,000 affordable homes, including over 1,800 in his constituency and more than 3,400 in Haringey. The £11.5 billion affordable homes programme aims to deliver thousands of new properties for rent and purchase. The minister mentions the Government's investment of £90 million in Blackpool to improve housing conditions. He notes that social housing is a finite resource managed by councils through local schemes, with central government setting guidelines for allocation. The Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 aims to improve standards and accountability within the sector, including Awaab's law which addresses hazards like damp and mould in social homes. From April 2024, £1.2 billion will be invested to restore local housing allowance rates to support low-income households with rental costs. The minister emphasises that social housing should benefit those who have contributed to the country and played by the rules.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.